The present invention is in the field of network communications including Internet communications and pertains more particularly to methods for optimizing the networking experience for users by enabling priority profile matching as a predecessor to networking sessions.
Capability for person-to-person communication has been enhanced greatly through recent development in wireless telephony and Internet technology. Anyone with a suitable wireless digital personal appliance or Internet appliance such as a personal computer with a standard Internet connection may access and communicate with other such equipped persons for the purpose of pleasure, business, or shared activities. There has also been great acceptance of technology for person-to-person communication with the purpose of making initial contact in an anonymous manner so as to provide two parties with a method of determining a desire (or lack) to further communicate semi-anonymously until the two parties decide to, or not to, meet face-to-face.
One problem that is encountered by an individual practicing this manner of communication is a lack of being able to immediately communicate with potentially desirable parties, and in many cases a lack of specific information as to the locality of a person to whom they might wish to communicate. Many prior-art services currently provide communication paths, such as Internet or newsprint personal advertisements, for example. These services provide a capability to respond but that capability is dependent on some time lapse between the time of placing the advertisement and receipt of responses to the advertisements. In these methods there is a considerable time lapse between the receipt of the response and initiating a reply to the initial interest.
In addition to the above, the profile information in such prior-art services is often sketchy and location information may indicate only a city or general geographic location. Time response using Internet paths is dependent on the person placing the advertisement to access the responses to their advertisement and reply. This may be accomplished in a matter of minutes or days depending on personal interests and habits. Time response in newsprint scenarios will take days or weeks depending on the time of placing the advertisement, publication timeframes, and reader search and response.
Another issue placing limitations on prior-art applications of personal communication services is the process in which the replies to personal advertisements are made. In the Internet application described above, one needs a PC or sophisticated digital appliance to search the personals services and reply usually via Internet to an interesting party. In the newsprint application, a responder most often has to reply to a cited telephone number or in some cases, send a letter to designated address. A significant limitation of current and prior-art services is the lack of availability of immediate and specific location information of the two parties utilizing a personal communications service.
A short-range radio technology system, known to the inventors as Blue tooth(trademark), provides a capability for communications among digital devices using local wireless/cellular networks and the Internet and provides simplified data synchronization between such Net devices and computers.
Bluetooth(trademark) firmware installed on a wireless device continually broadcasts and searches within a defined radius for other devices having Bluetooth(trademark) technology capability. When such devices are xe2x80x9cin rangexe2x80x9d they may communicate with one other. It has occurred to the inventors that this technology may be exploited and modified to provide meeting services based on profiling.
What is clearly needed is an Internet-enhanced networking system applicable to wireless technology that enables users to quickly locate interested parties based on priority profiling wherein profile matching and acceptance is a predecessor for communication and possibly meeting. Such a system greatly would greatly enhance any networking situation wherein it is desired to have knowledge of the participants before initiating non-anonymous communication.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method for initiating communication between at least two users of two or more users operating communications devices on a communications network, the communication advanced according to priority profile exchange and matching between the users is provided. The method comprises the steps of, (a) activating the communications devices to exchange profile information with each other, (b) receiving profiles, each communications device receiving profiles from other participating communications devices, (c) comparing the received profiles to local profiles stored on each of the participating communications devices, the matching performed according to priority criteria, (d) registering at least one match of profiles on at least one of the communications devices, (e) identifying the sending device of the highest priority profile matched and (f) initiating communication between the communications devices involved in the profile match, the communication initiated from the device registering the profile match.
In one aspect, the communications network comprises a local-area-network. In a preferred aspect, the local-area-network is a wireless network using short-wave radio technology. In this aspect of the method in step (a), activation of the communications devices and detection of other devices within range constitutes the local-area-network. In preferred aspects of the method in step (a), the communications devices have a microprocessor, a display, an input control mechanism, and a wireless local-area-network protocol embedded in the microprocessor. In one embodiment, the wireless local-area-network protocol is a firmware installable to the device. In another aspect of the method, the communications network comprises a local-area-network connected to a cellular telephone network accessible from the Internet network and wherein at least one of the communications devices is a Web-enabled cellular telephone. In one aspect of the method, a file server having a database connected thereto is provided on the Internet and adapted for performing steps (b) through (f) on behalf of the at least one Web-enabled cellular phone. In still another aspect of the method, the communications network further comprises a wireless data-packet-network connected to the local-area-network and accessible from the Internet network and wherein at least one of the communications devices is a Web-enabled hand-held computer. Further to the above, the Web-enabled hand-held computer is adapted to perform steps (c) through (f) on behalf of other communications devices. In a preferred aspect of the method in step (b), the received profiles are real profiles. In another aspect, in step (c), the local profiles are request profiles.
In another aspect of the present invention, a system for anonymously initiating communication between system-connected communications devices, the initiation of communication resulting from comparison and priority matching of profile information shared between the devices is provided. The system comprises, at least two communications devices connected to the system, the communications devices having at least a microprocessor, a data-input mechanism, a display screen, a wireless local-area-network protocol application enhanced with short-wave radio communication capability installed per instance to each of the devices and a profile comparison and matching application installed per instance to each of the devices. When any two of the devices come into short-wave radio range of each other, and the devices are activated, a wireless local-area-network is established and the in-range devices swap profiles, which are compared to profiles held locally on each device such that a profile match registering on at least one device enables the device matching the profile to signal the sending device of the matched profile in order to request communication between the devices.
In one aspect, the system is defined by the activity states of the in-range communications devices. In another aspect, the communications devices further include a voice communication capability using the short-wave radio technology. In one embodiment, the communications devices include Web-enabled cellular telephones. In another embodiment, the communications devices further include Web-enabled hand-held computers.
In one aspect, the system further comprises a computerized host node connected to the system. The host node is adapted for profile comparison and matching on behalf of the communications devices. In another aspect, the system further comprises a communications server maintained on the Internet and connected to the host node. The communications server is for storing profile information and for enabling system extension to remote Internet users accessing the server.
In one embodiment, the file server is accessible from the Web-enabled cellular telephones, from the Web-enabled hand-held computers, and from non-Internet capable communications devices functioning as peripherals through the computerized host node. In preferred application, the host node and the file server have an instance of the wireless local-area-network application and an instance of the profile comparison and matching application installed thereon for profile synchronization, comparison, and matching purposes. In still another embodiment, the wireless local-area-network application and the profile comparison and matching application are integrated as one application.
Now, for the first time, a networking system applicable to short-wave wireless technology is provided that enables users to quickly locate interested parties based on priority profiling. In some aspects the networking system is extensible into the Internet network enabling practice without geographic limitations. Such a system greatly enhances any networking situation wherein it is desired to have knowledge of the participants before initiating non-anonymous communication.